שופטים, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ד

Political betrayals and internal conflicts often appear as the natural results of shifting alliances, but at times, they are the deliberate workings of divine justice. Following a brutal massacre, a sudden rebellion breaks out, serving as a direct retaliation orchestrated by God. The primary approach among commentators is that this entire sequence of events is directed from heaven to avenge the seventy murdered sons of Jerubbaal.

The sudden seizure of the kingdom from the rightful heirs is viewed not merely as a political shift, but as a profound injustice and an act of outright robbery [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. To correct this wrong, God ensures that the penalty for the bloodshed falls directly on the shoulders of the guilty [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This divine retribution targets two specific parties. The first is Abimelech, who carried out the actual murders. The second is the leadership of Shechem, who actively assisted him and strengthened his hand to slaughter his own brothers, making them equally deserving of vengeance [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The punishment materializes through a divinely sparked conflict. The leaders of Shechem betray Abimelech by preventing him from entering the city and setting up ambushes on the surrounding mountaintops. By robbing anyone who passes along the road, the people of Shechem publicly demonstrate their complete rebellion. They show that they have thrown off Abimelech's authority, broken free from his rule, and are now acting entirely on their own terms [רד״ק].